Comments on: Sergey Aleynikov Goldman Sachs Black Box Heist: computer codes and trading-related files

By: rodrik

rodrik — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:25:11 +0000

More than likely, he brought someone's IP to them when hired on. How many rockstar software engineers do you know pulling down $400k? I know lots of brilliantly talented SEs and programmers who can't find a job period. And normal pay for an experienced hot commodity programmer is more in the $90-120 range. Manhattan might be 1.5 times that, but even then it's pretty high. Not to even mention the new gig…

Our country's HR doctrines are downright evil, in that “banality of great evil” kind of way.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:24:10 +0000

I thought a prior conviction would increase your chance of a job at GS. “Proves you have the right stuff” and all.

….. GS hires Wheel of Fortune guy, incorporates random trip to Greece and $50,000 vowel purchases into latent quant trading platforms. I'll buy an F for 500, U for 1000 C for….

By: rodrik

rodrik — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:25:11 +0000

Our country's HR doctrines are downright evil, in that “banality of great evil” kind of way.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:24:10 +0000

I thought a prior conviction would increase your chance of a job at GS. “Proves you have the right stuff” and all.

….. GS hires Wheel of Fortune guy, incorporates random trip to Greece and $50,000 vowel purchases into latent quant trading platforms. I'll buy an F for 500, U for 1000 C for….

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:39:16 +0000

The part I do not quite understand is how some other firm would be able to properly utilize this code. I assume front running involves before the fact knowledge of orders, not detecting after the fact patterns in executed orders.

According to the stats, GS is responsible for 40% of the program trading activity, so it can front run against its own clients. Who else has access to that large a body of order executions? How do the ‘markets’ get manipulated?

So, is this a smoke screen to lock down the code as it will reveal something different about its purposes? Theft of IP shows GS has been harmed and justifies preventive actions - why the need to warn about the possibility of a financial WMD?

http://beaconintegration.com.